Follow by Email

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Leftover lunch rehab: Old Pork loin gets a new lease on life

The best brown bag sandwiches are made with leftovers of a meal you have been bragging about to your cubicle brethren for say the past two days(I keep leftovers a week plus, but I was reared by parents of the third world who never threw food out and finished every grain of rice on the plate).

The left over protein above is a roasted loin of pork, rubbed with salt, fennel seed, rosemary and black pepper, and finished with a balsamic mustard vinaigrette spiked with a little brown sugar. It was a fine roast but, not surprisingly, the flavors diminished considerably after a day in the fridge.

Spicy, salty and sweet are great ways to wake up the flavors of leftover pork. Whenever I think of a great Cuban sandwich, I am reminded of the harmony that exists between brine and swine. Pickles also give the added benefit of texture as long as you buy the good stuff that packs a crunch.

Splurge worthy: Bubbies makes the best bread and butter pickles I have had and the big jar is worth the $7 price tag.

A little heat goes a long way when trying to balance out the sweetness presented by these pickles and the general mildness that pork has. I went for a dusting of the pickles here:

After a few more pensive bites I realize that I could have gone a biter heavier on the crushed red chile flakes, but the salting was near perfect. Finishing salts have puzzled me as I try to season my food before it hits the plate but in leftover lunch rehab, a finishing salt is your ace in the hole in bringing this roasted pork loin back to life.

Multi grain, spinach and a little mayo wrap things up. The sandwich held together nicely, the flavors were bold but well behaved. A few bites in and you would almost forget that you were eating leftovers.

About Me

I'm an Urban Foodie Sherpa whose exploits have landed me in Black Book Magazine's LA dining guide, producing $24 in 24 hours and Thanksgiving Live! for Food Network and developing new shows for Alton Brown and Simon Majumdar. But my real food claim to fame is being the Chong to Food Network's Cheech: Jeff Mauro, Sandwich King and winner of Food Network Star season 7. Before Epic Meal time, there was Chef Jeff and Ali - you tube it.